What are the safety precautions for using crane drums?

The core safety precautions for using crane drums focus on pre-use inspection, standard operation, and regular maintenance to avoid rope slipping, drum damage, or load accidents.

Pre-use Safety Inspection

1. Check the drum’s structural integrity, including no cracks, deformation, or excessive wear on the cylinder and flanges.
2. Verify the steel wire rope’s condition: no broken strands, corrosion, or abnormal deformation, and ensure the tail fixing (press plate, wedge) is tight without loosening.
3. Confirm the rope groove is intact—if wear exceeds 1/4 of the wire rope diameter and cannot be repaired, stop use immediately.

Standard Operation Requirements

1. Keep at least 2-3 safety coils of wire rope on the drum during lifting/lowering to prevent the rope from slipping off the drum.
2. Avoid overloading or sudden starting/braking, which can cause excessive tension on the rope and drum damage.
3. Ensure the wire rope winds neatly in the groove—do not allow overlapping or skew winding to reduce friction and wear.

Regular Maintenance and Management

1. Regularly lubricate the drum and wire rope to reduce friction and prevent corrosion.
2. Record the drum’s service life and wear status; scrap it if wall thickness wear reaches 20% of the original or cracks appear.
3. Train operators to master correct operation methods and emergency handling skills for abnormal situations (e.g., rope jamming, drum abnormal noise).